Five held on terror charges in Britain (Lead)

London, April 24 (IANS) Five men suspected of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism were arrested Tuesday in Britain, Scotland Yard said.

Anti-terror police swooped on a series of different addresses in Luton town before dawn as part of a pre-planned, intelligence-led operation.

The men, aged 21, 23, 24, 25 and 30, were all arrested at separate homes in Luton this morning and have been taken to a central London police station for questioning, the Daily Mail reported.

According to the Scotland Yard, searches under the Terrorism Act 2000 were taking place at all five of the addresses and inquiries are ongoing.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police counter-terrorism command said: “All five were arrested at separate residential addresses in Luton. They have been taken to a central London police station where they remain in custody.

“The arrests were a part of a pre-planned, intelligence-led operation.”

The raids come the same week that mass killer Anders Breivik, on trial for the massacre of 77 people, told a Norwegian court that Muslims want sharia law in “places like Luton”.